Police boost presence in rural town amid gang feud

Email

|

MORE!

KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Jamaica's top police official and a group of commanding officers have toured a small farming town in the south of the island after an uptick in violence resulted in three homicides in recent days.

Police Commissioner Owen Ellington says there will immediately be a boost in police patrols in Linstead, a rural town in St. Catherine parish known for its bustling vegetable and fruit market.

Police say an internal gang dispute has erupted over shares of illegal cash and has led to three killings, including two Sunday.

Ellington says officers are sure that townspeople have information about the recent killings and he is urging them to provide detectives with information.

Police reported 1,087 killings last year on Jamaica, an island with about 2.7 million residents.